As a rule, such a housing comprises four sidewalls, a back or a bottom wall connecting the sidewalls, and a lid or door wall part closing a housing opening. The lid wall part can, for example, be fixedly connected to the other parts of the housing by screws or the like. A door wall part is generally pivotably connected to the other parts of the housing, and might be connected to the housing in its closing position, such that the housing is explosion-protected.
In the interior of the housing, electronic and/or electric components are arranged, which generally produce heat during operation. For removal of such heat, the housing comprises a cooling means.
Depending on the produced heat and the size of the housing, it might be sufficient, when such cooling means only comprises particular cooling openings. Those might, for example, be formed by narrow gaps of the explosion-protected housing. Such narrow gaps are flame-proofed, but are sufficient for cooling only in case there is relatively low waste heat and if there are only a few corresponding electronic and electric components.
However, in case high power components are used, such cooling means may no longer be sufficient, such that the housing has to use additional cooling means, such as cooling fins or the like.
There is also the possibility for forming the housing in comparison to the components arranged in the housing interior with a comparable large size, such that sufficient cooling is possible according to the size of the housing.
However, this means an increase of costs and also an increase in the space required, which is generally necessary for the arrangement of the corresponding electric and electronic components.
Also the usage of corresponding cooling fins, which are generally arranged on the outside of the housing, results in an increased amount of space.
It is further possible to cool the housing interior actively by a corresponding supply of cooling fluid. Such a cooling generally takes place from the outside of the housing and again the corresponding devices and embodiments of a cooling means are necessary, which also have to fulfill the corresponding requirements concerning the explosion protection.
It is an object of the present invention to improve a corresponding explosion-protected housing, as described above, such that in a simple way and without increased costs and increased need of space, a cooling also of a plurality of electronic and/or electric components is possible in the housing interior.